A Group, Nigerian Collective for Social Reforms and Best Practices (RBP), has vowed to stop the PDP chairmanship aspiration of the former National Assembly Liaison Officer to the former President Umaru Yar’addua.?
In a press statement signed by its executive secretary, David Okafor, and made available to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND, it threatened to mobilise Nigerians and the human rights community against Jonathan’s transformation agenda, if Aji is allowed to scale through his ambition.
The challenge stems from Aji’s alleged opposition to the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill and his alleged role in the withholding of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s letter to the National Assembly while he was sick.
Aji was alleged to have said he would do all things in his power to prevent the president from signing the FOI Bill even if the National Assembly passes it, a position that puts him at the front burner of national discourse with journalists, human rights groups, non- governmental organisations and other interest groups within and outside Nigeria condemning his position. He later denied making such statement, saying he was misquoted.
“The reports in the media have drawn the attention of this group to the intention or aspiration of Senator Abba Aji to contest the office of National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 2012 National Convention of the Party. Ordinarily, one would have said that this was a PDP affair and should not concern us at all. But being the ruling party at the national level, what happens in PDP should be of serious concern to any well meaning Nigerian.
“Senator Abba Aji as the liaison officer to the president on National Assembly Matters vowed to ensure that the president does not sign the FOI bill into law, a statement that attracted national rebuke, even from his own boss. Again, before the April 2011 general election, Abba Aji was reported to have said there was no vacancy for Igbo presidency in 2015.
The above is in addition to reported allegations that he was responsible for the withholding of a letter written by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to the National Assembly for the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to act as president while the late president was ill.